Dinners 23-25

When I started this project, in February, of doing 28 new meals I had now idea it would take me 2 1/2 months.  It's kind of dragged on forever to the point that I don't even remember what I made at the beginning.  I guess that's why I blogged it, but I told myself 28 meals and I am sticking to it.  So here are meals 23-25.

Dinner #23- Beef Stew

It was a rainy day this day so I thought soup would be nice and warm.  We had this meal with cornbread.  We all loved it and it wasn't to hard.  Just a bit of extra prep, but it was worth it.  When using frozen veggies I just pick up a pack of mixed, but add in what you like.

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs steak, cubed ( I just bought stew meat)
• Tabasco sauce, to taste(left this out.  I didn't have any)
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped or diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 c. beef broth
• 2 large potatoes, cleaned and cut into large cubes (I used red and left the skins on.  yum)
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut
• 1/2 c. frozen corn
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 1/2 c. tomato juice (or to taste)
• cornstarch (optional)

Instructions

• Braise beef in oil until just brown on all sides (turning only once if possible).
• Add Tabasco, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add onions and saute until onions become clear.
• Transfer to a *large pot and add beef broth, potatoes and carrots.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour (or until potatoes are cooked through) if you want the beef to be really tender, simmer for even longer.
• About 20 minutes before serving, add corn, peas and tomato sauce and simmer until ready to serve. If you like your stew nice and thick, add a about 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch to some beef broth, stir until smooth, then stir into the stew.
• Add beef broth to thin out and cornstarch to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
• *You can also throw everything (except potatoes, corn & peas) in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours -- add potatoes, corn & peas the last 2-3 hours so they don't get too mushy.

Dinner #24- Eggplant Parmesan

 I order this a lot when we go out to Italian resturaunts.  I decided to give it a try myself and it turned out so great.  My kids didn't even know they were eating eggplant.  They thought it was chicken.  What they don't know won't hurt them right? :)  This meal was a bit of a process so save it for a slow night or a weekend.  Way yummy!

2 fresh eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I actually cut mine a little thicker)
2 egg whites, beaten (I just used the whole egg)
2 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
marinara sauce, divided (4-6 cups)
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tb fresh basil, chopped

Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 30 minutes then rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Dip eggplant slices in egg whites, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. I covered mine with AL foil.  Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes on each side.

 In a 9×13 inch baking dish spread marinara sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.

 Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with pasta and a green salad or veggies.

Dinner #25- General Tso's Chicken- in a crock pot

I do like a good General Tso's.  I've never done it in the crock pot and I liked how it turned out.  My sauce was nice and thick and I didn't have to add a thickening agent.  It doesn't stay in the crock pot to long so this is something that can be made right before the kids get home from school and be eating after all the afternoon madness is over.  I forgot to put in the green onions.  It still tasted fine without them.  It had a bit of kick to eat so what how much cayenne pepper you add in. 

• 2 Lb. chicken breasts (cut into 1" pieces)(when at the butcher's ask if they can cut it for you.  It saves so much time.)
• 1 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. "lite" soy sauce
• 1/2 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1/2 c. white distilled vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 c. cornstarch, mixed with 1/4 c. water
• 4 green onions, sliced

• Combine flour, salt, and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture.
• Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side (it doesn't need to be cooked all the way through at this point). Set aside.
• In the Crock Pot, whisk sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne until well combined.
• Add chicken to crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. If you would like your sauce thicker add water/cornstarch mixture about 30 minutes before serving. Stir it in SLOWLY, folding it into the chicken. You won't want your breading to be scraped off of your chicken pieces so be gentle! (I didn't have to do this because my sauce was already thick enough)
• Garnish with green onion and serve with rice and egg rolls.